# Chapter 10: Adventure Group?
Outside the window, it was pitch black. The streets were very quiet, all things having fallen into slumber, except for certain sinister beings. The night was their camouflage for hunting, especially on such a moonless night. Correspondingly, the hunters were also more accustomed to acting at night.
Inside the shelter house, the lights were brightly lit. Two men and one woman were staring at each other with wide eyes. All three were contractors. Two of them were a couple, from Sanctuary Paradise, currently embracing each other, exchanging affectionate glances, freely scattering dog food. The single gentleman beside them was almost sick of eating it.
This single gentleman called himself Lance, and he was no small fry—he was a member of some adventure group within Apocalypse Paradise.
This wasn't actually that significant. The key point was that the large adventure group named "Holy Hall" actually had 165 contractors entering this world, with the regimental commander leading a group of core members. They had all chosen the Watch Guild faction.
Having such good fortune was something Su Xiao hadn't expected. He could now issue tasks to contractors, thereby gaining World Reputation.
Su Xiao still had 31 unresolved supernatural incidents in hand. Assuming the Holy Hall adventure group formed teams of 5 per squad, with each team responsible for one supernatural incident, that would still leave 10 people idle.
Besides the backlog of supernatural incident files, Su Xiao could now issue another type of task: having contractors represent the Watch Guild to go to various cities in the Rhine Kingdom to retrieve the belongings of deceased hunters.
As for the task difficulty, that depended on fate. If they happened to encounter a powerful ghost also seizing the belongings, the task difficulty would instantly skyrocket.
"Mr. Kukulin, do you really believe this person can wipe out the Flesh Auction?"
The female contractor from the couple spoke. Her aura was like a venomous snake, her light red eyes sizing up Lance, as if choosing a suitable spot for her "venomous fangs" to strike.
"Madam, you cannot judge a book by its cover."
Lance slightly adjusted the narrow-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge, his demeanor refined, looking like a gentleman who wouldn't argue with a woman—definitely not because he couldn't beat her.
Lance had come to the shelter house this time carrying orders from his regimental commander. His regimental commander had sent him to scout the situation at this shelter house, to see if it was suitable for accepting commissions. They simply couldn't make it in the Watch Guild headquarters. Those high-ranking officials were one more troublesome than the next. Just from initial contact, they had judged that the Holy Hall adventure group members had obvious ulterior motives, different from normal hunters.
Those old fellows' attitude was very clear: they wouldn't exploit hunters, but faced with these contractors of unknown origin with strong ulterior motives, those old fellows adopted a dual exploitation relationship. They could be used, but they would also fully exploit the Holy Hall adventure group.
Initially, the Holy Hall members hadn't cared much. But after participating in a special-level supernatural incident in the wilderness, they got scared. Those old fellows first laid out the benefits, then told them in an almost blunt manner: you are elite cannon fodder. Go, and you'll get several times the pay of ordinary hunters. Don't go, then leave the Watch Guild headquarters.
Therefore, Lance had come this time to test the waters. As a contractor who had mingled at the Watch Guild headquarters, Lance felt quite confident after arriving at the shelter house.
"High returns mean more dangerous commissions."
Su Xiao sat behind the wooden table, reviewing a just-delivered secret document. It marked the locations of many hunters' belongings. Each location could issue a task, with difficulty ranging from Lv.5 to Lv.70. Lv.5 was just running errands, completely avoiding dark demons. As for Lv.70, that meant encountering a powerful ghost. After frontal combat broke out, the task difficulty might be pushed even higher.
With the combat power of an ordinary seventh-rank contractor, encountering a powerful ghost basically meant being dead cold.
"Mr. Kukulin, do you think we fear death?"
The beauty snake from the couple pressed both hands on the wooden table, leaned forward, looked at Su Xiao up close, with a faint seductive smile on her face. Her charm-type abilities were fully activated, about to achieve a mental confusion effect.
"Since that's the case, I have a more suitable commission for you. The reward is several times higher, and also very difficult to complete."
Su Xiao took out a basic format approval document, wrote a few lines of text on it, then lit the candle on the table, used the candle to soften a seal stamp, and stamped the Watch Guild seal onto the approval document.
"Challenge makes it interesting. I hope the reward is sufficient. Don't you agree, Mr. Kukulin?"
The beauty snake's hand pressed on the approval document. She picked it up and read it. Soon, some of the seductive smile on her face faded. She had received a task with difficulty Lv.5～Lv.70, named "Belongings Retrieval."
"What the hell kind of task... commission is this?"
The word "task" almost slipped out. The beauty snake's gaze began to turn unfriendly. After weighing the pros and cons, she and her partner walked out of the shelter house together, considered as accepting the commission.
"You really have a good temper. And these two people are untrustworthy. That woman was affecting your judgment."
Bottled Hunter Tiffany spoke. She was currently placed on the wooden table. Hearing her voice, Apocalypse Paradise contractor Lance was startled. As a perception-type, he hadn't noticed a glass bottle one meter away from him containing a person.
"They went to the neighboring Manns City to retrieve belongings."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Tiffany's aura contracted. She said, "I haven't... offended you recently. No, I haven't offended you."
In an instant, Tiffany thought of many things. "Manns City" was adjacent to the current "Soddo City." There wasn't much danger there. The key point was that the powerful ghost had just appeared in "Soddo City" tonight and had fought with Su Xiao. The likelihood of him continuing to appear in "Soddo City" was very low.
That meant the powerful ghost's next target was likely the neighboring "Manns City," going there to seize belongings. And that beauty snake and cold-smiling man would probably run right into the powerful ghost. The beauty snake had personally said "challenge makes it interesting." This challenge should satisfy her.
"You're called... Lance?"
"That's right."
"I have many commissions backlogged in my hands. I don't care who completes these commissions. I only look at the results."
"Understood. I hope we cooperate happily."
Lance got the answer he was satisfied with, turned around, and walked out of the shelter house, preparing to bring this good news to their regimental commander.
Su Xiao checked the time. It was almost 1 AM. He prepared to go upstairs and sleep. In this world, he wasn't particularly busy. If there were no more clues about the main quest, what he would contact more of were contractors from other paradises. He felt this was the main source of World Reputation income.
Assuming the 31 commission tasks in hand were all completed, he would gain at least over 190 points of World Reputation. This was much higher than the profit from solving the commissions himself, since most commissions took considerable time.
Just as Su Xiao was about to get up and go upstairs, the shelter house door was pushed open. A chill drifted in. It was a hunter wearing a black trench coat and a crow mask. Although the attire was similar to the old hunter from before, this person's aura was a notch weaker.
"Hello, I've come to handle the matter of the ancient castle."
The newcomer stopped a few meters from the wooden table. Their voice was somewhat neutral.
"Time limit: five hours. Bring back his hunter badge."
Su Xiao took a prepared approval document from the drawer. The hunter who came this time was named Alexia. She had come to help that old hunter find release. The old hunter had specifically requested her to come, probably to pass something on to her.
Hunter Alexia didn't say much. She took the approval document and quickly left, heading straight for the ancient castle outside the city. Her mentor was waiting for her there.
An hour later, on the wilderness outside Soddo City, an ancient castle stood abruptly among the weeds. The windows and doors had long rotted into dust. Firelight flickered from within the castle, shadows swaying like ghostly figures.
Steady footsteps echoed from inside the ancient castle. Following the firelight, a figure walked through the castle. It was Alexia. Soon, she saw a gaunt figure sitting before a bonfire.
Near this figure were arranged various weapons, all somewhat blackened—the result of years of staining with dark demon blood. Decades of hunting had made the bloodstains on the weapons impossible to wash off.
With a click, Alexia's saw-blade spring knife unfolded. This weapon was also somewhat blackened. Alexia was an excellent hunter.
No conversation, no farewell. Alexia raised her saw-blade spring knife. Illuminated by the flames, firelight reflected from the eye holes of her mask—firelight reflected by tears.
Puchi!
The saw-blade spring knife slashed through, trailing a patch of black-red blood. The old hunter's head was severed. From beginning to end, he hadn't moved an inch. The energy within his body gradually attached itself to Alexia's weapon—this was his final gift to his disciple.
"You have... worked hard."
Alexia fell to her knees with a thud. Black-red blood dripped down along her mask.
"I will... grant you new life."
A voice appeared out of nowhere, echoing in the air. Alexia suddenly leaped up from the ground, holding her saw-blade spring knife before her.
The sound of continuous metal weapon clashes spread. After just a few seconds, Alexia crashed through the ancient castle wall, flying out with broken stones. Mid-flight in reverse, most of the crow mask on her face had shattered. By the firelight, she saw a headless figure inside the ancient castle. It picked up the head from the ground and pressed it onto the severed neck.